Photo : Kevin Buckland Private Collection

Son of George William and Ethel Foster; husband of Marion Eunice Foster, of Shepherds Bush, London.

Charles was educated at Emmaville and Ryton schools, and then Hookergate Secondary School. On leaving school he was employed for a time at Wright's Chemist, Main Street, Crawcrook. The family left Crawcrook pre war to work a small farm in Northumberland. Apart from working on the farm he was also employed as a postman for the district of Allendale.

After enlisting in the RAF at the outbreak of war he was accepted to train as a Fighter Pilot. The initial training was done in mock up cockpits, but the instructors soon realised that he was too tall at six feet six inches to fit into a fighter plane cockpit. He was transferred to Sunderland flying boats and after his passing out, he went on to Coastal Command duties. After a while he transferred to Bomber Command where he completed many operational flying duties up until his death. Whilst serving with the RAF he met and married his wife who was serving with the Women's Royal Air Force as an Administration Operative, in London.

Simon Glancey has submitted the following:

Originally from Ryton, but later from Allendale where he worked as a postman. He was killed in Handley Page Halifax III MZ689 KN-Z of 77 Squadron on February 7th 1945. The Halifax collided head-on with another Halifax of 158 Squadron, NP973 NP-P, near Winnekendonk, about 25 miles NW of Duisburg with the loss of all of the crew. MZ689 had been on an operation to bomb targets in and around Goch.

English Electric Co Ltd (360 Aircraft)
Contract No ACFT/2553, requisition HA9/E11/42. Deliveries commenced 11.3.44 (MZ500). B Mk III MZ500-544, MZ 556-604, MZ672-717, MZ730-775, MZ787-831, MZ844-883, MZ895-939.

Source : The Handley Page Halifax. K. A. Merrick Aston Publications 1990. ISBN 0946627608

Royal Air Force Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War: 1945; W.R. Chorley; 2008; Midland Counties Publications; ISBN 978 0 904597 92 9 page 69.

He had previously survived the crash of Halifax III MZ335 KN-R, which crash-landed after an engine failure soon after take off from R.A.F. Full Sutton on January 2nd 1945.

Royal Air Force Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War: 1945; W.R. Chorley; 2008; Midland Counties Publications; ISBN 978 0 904597 92 9, page 27.

Charles Edward Foster is remembered at Allendale Town on A6.02 and at Rowlands Gill on R46.07

Ryton and District War Memorials Project
The CWGC entry for Warrant Officer Foster